FOUR AVATARS: Banishment
by Yemi Hikari
Summary: AU - What if there were four rotations of Avatars instead of just one? What if by freezing himself, Aang froze the other three?
1. Prolog

_Disclaimer – I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. This idea sprung up from reading a couple of Aang having a twin sister, or sister fanfics where she was a second Avatar, which doesn't work. This is an AU where there is one Avatar for each nation at a time. Thus four avatars, and the title to the series, Four Avatars. Hope you enjoy._

**

* * *

**

FOUR AVATARS: Banishment  
~Prolog~

_One hundred years before the Air Avatars return… the day when he disappears…_

… _**Omashu…**_

Bumi was running through the hallways of the castle to meet with his sister to see what he could tell her about another exciting day of riding the shoots. He hadn't told his best friend Aang that he was of the royal Earth Kingdom family because he wanted a friend to like him for who he was, not what he was. Aang had been that person.

His sister, Fumi was lying on her bed looking over what was a Firebending scroll. She had already mastered Earthbending and to Bumi's humor was trying to master another element… something only one of the four Avatar's could do. He laughed and jumped onto her bed, doing an terra slam and causing her to bounce out of her bed.

Fumi glared at her little brother and was prepared to stick out her tongue at him. "I have to study this Bumi."

"Why? You're going to be Queen Fumi of Omashu… why would an Earth brat need to know about Firebending?" the boy laughed, snorting as he did.

"No… you will be Earth king Bumi… I can't believe they let you run around as they do," his sister murmured.

"What do you mean!" Bumi whined. "I like playing games."

"Don't think that I don't know that… wait… they haven't told you," Fumi said, glancing at her brother. "I am the third ranked Avatar Bumi!"

"But you can still be Queen," Bumi smiled at her, not phased one bit… then again, this was Bumi they were talking about.

"Bumi!" the girl laughed. "You know there are four temples in each kingdom, each with a series of Avatars… do you know who the lead one is."

"Duh… an Airbender!" the boy laughed.

"Avatar Ruko would just love the fact you haven't figured it out," the girl said.

"You _met_ Avatar Ruko? I thought the four Avatar's couldn't overlap?" the boy sighed.

"They aren't supposed to… but he wanted to make sure that the second Avatar Kuzon knew what to do…" the girl commented. "That we both had the instruction that we needed in Firebending."

"Oh… Kuzon, your boyfriend!"

"Thank you very much… I am eighteen and Kuzon is sixteen!" the girl snapped.

"Yes, and I am thirteen!" Bumi beamed at her. "So who are the other Avatars!"

"The Water Avatar is a boy by the name of Lyto…" the girl commented. "You still have to guess who the other one is, who the lead Avatar is!"

"Ahh… why!" the boy mumbled.

"Because you know him! And you like these games!" she laughed.

"Oh… a game! I know… the only Airbender I know is Aang!" Bumi smile suddenly went wide. "Oh… it IS Aang!"

"Don't tell, him, not until his sixteenth birthday!"

"Ahh… ohh… I can tease him and not tell him and he won't know!" Bumi grinned, knowing what he said was right. His frown suddenly changed when he saw his sister suddenly becoming incased with ice, along with the tiny Badgermole that was a runt, and small for its kind.

…_**Ember Island…**_

Kuzon was sitting on his mat at the Fire Temple on Ember Island, meditating and thinking about the fact that he would soon have to go and train with the Airbending techniques. He wasn't looking forward to this idea, but had liked the idea that he would have been able to see the young Aang at the time being, as the boy would not be able to have gone and started his Waterbending training for some time.

His eyes snapped open as he sensed something within his bones… a great dread that he did not want to have to deal with, but he went and grabbed a piece of paper, his mind buzzing with disturbances.

_To bring peace  
One must die  
To bring the fire  
Past the lie  
The fire shall find  
The air outside the ice  
With the same soul  
But a different spice_

The boy crumpled up the paper and tossed it away, growling. He already knew that the current Fire Lord wanted nothing with him going and training with the Airbenders. He had said something along the lines of it having to come complete circle and staying for once completely with one kingdom. He took it that the man wanted the lead Avatar to stay with the Fire Kingdom, but the boy was yet to figure out what that meant. He glanced at his hands and suddenly found them frosting over.

…_**North Pole…**_

Lyto, the younger brother of the King sat watching with great excitement that the whole mission was going quite fine. The mission was to look as innocent as possible when the man came hurtling through the door, drenched with water. He held open an eye just as his brother came bounding in and snapped it shut. The next thing he knew, he was frozen solid.

_

* * *

_

Author's note – To explain how this works, there are four temples for each Kingdom, each temple is supposed to have statues for each Avatar. Aang is the lead Avatar and the other three are Lyto, Fumi… who is in fact Bumi's older sister… and yes, I do plan to use that as jokes later on, and at this point Kuzon. But something is going to mess with the order of Kuzon's cycle.


	2. Ozai's Hunt

**FOUR AVATARS: Banishment  
~Ozai's Hunt~**

_Around Seventeen years before Aang reappears_

… _**Ember Island…**_

Ozai was constantly trying to prove himself better then his own brother Iroh and had taken to searching for the four Avatars that had disappeared from the world eighty-three years ago roughly. He had received news that one of the Avatars, the secondary one, was located somewhere on the island. Thus he had taken the chance to take his new bride, Ursa to the island for their honeymoon, to supposedly make an heir for his line to the thrown.

Ursa had been thinking that it was actually a major move on her husbands part because he had come to know that he had not been to thrilled at their supposedly arranged marriage, though he did have some feelings for his wife. However, it could be seen by both Ursa and Iroh that the feelings were fleeting and the man was losing the compassion that he had known as a child, which was why Iroh had pushed the arranged marriage with his father.

She had been expecting hers and her brother-in-laws plan to bring her husband out of this world of his filled with predominance of the need to make it so that he got the dominate attention from his father and was the head of everything to a rational close. However, she was dismayed to find that the man was not wanting any interaction with her at all and she became quite livid with anger…. As much as Ursa could.

Thus Ozai was out exploring the island while Ursa fumed back and forth in the beach house that the Fire Lord had given as a wedding gift when he had found out that was where Ozai had wanted to go for the honeymoon. He wasn't in doing his duty as the newlywed husband and had hurried off to the volcanic mountain that was there.

His goal was to find this specific Avatar because it had been prophesized that the Fire Avatar would be the one to help bring the Air Avatar back into the world, thus the Fire Avatar had to be found first and must die. He thus found himself slowly climbing up the mountain, using his fire fingers to scale the mountain. He thus came across the long ago abandoned temple of Ember Island.

The prince of the Fire Nation carefully snuck in and saw that there was indeed a sanctuary within and that there was a chamber that was locked and could only be opened by Firebending, five people that was, but the fact was, there was also a place in the wall that had collapsed and allowed him in.

He snuck in and found to his delight a boy frozen in ice, around the age of sixteen. A Dragon was also curled behind the boy, frozen too in a deep sleep. Ozai smiled as the Dragon was still in it's younger stages and wouldn't be a problem to kill. He reached back and thrust forward a sphere of fire, thrusting it straight through the ice and through the boy's heart, shattering the ice as he did so.

The man was surprised to see the ice shatter and fire spread all around them. He heard the Dragon roar in what he thought was pain and hurried out of the temple and down the stairs as the temple rose up in flames. Now the Fire Avatar would never find the Air Avatar, the leader of the Avatars. He could now go and take pleasure in his wife, for the Fire Avatar needed to reincarnate as an Air Avatar, and they were all gone from the world.

_**A Couple of Weeks Later…**_

Ozai was sitting on the ship on the way back to the Fire Nation. The charred remains of the Fire Avatar had been found. He had also received some very bad news from the Fire Sages. Normally, the Fire Avatar would have just passed on not having a next stage to go through, that there was a chance that the Fire Avatar could actually be reborn as another Fire Bender, not because of the fact that there was no Air Avatar to be born into, but the fact that the Fire Avatar was needed to fulfill the prophesy behind the thing.

As he was sitting there, Ursa leaned over and whispered into his ear. "I am with child…"

Ozai's face snapped to look at hers. "You are _not _to tell anyone until it is one month into the pregnancy. You are then to tell them that we were having problems and that we had not conceived until then."

"What is this about?" Ursa asked, not liking the fact that he was again heading down the dark path of his. She had no clue how far he had already traveled from their days as children.

"Just do as I say…" Ozai commented, not looking her in the face. He thought that if the child was thought to be premature that no one would notice it accidently slipping away during the night. Thus no one would look for an Avatar that was within the proper age limits and they wouldn't be able to find him… ever.

_

* * *

_

Author's note – To think… his logic is flawed… big time!!!


	3. A Birth

**FOUR AVATARS: Banishment  
~A Birth~**

**Three Months Later…**

Iroh had been out in the war three months ago when he had been called back briefly by his father to investigate the incident on Ember Island, where the charred remains of the Fire Avatar… or second Avatar in the line were found. It had become a very grave matter indeed that the Fire Avatar had been found and killed, the news of which was released to the people of the Fire Nation.

What wasn't released was the speculation that the Fire Avatar would be reborn as a Fire Nation child. The whole situation was very grave indeed, because all the people thought the child would be born as an Air Bender and thus the second cycle would end. However, there was the fact that the prophecy was still in tact, and if so… the death of the Fire Avatar actually worked into the whole matter.

Iroh still couldn't understand why the cycle would have been broken, until he was told by the priests that the cycle had been messed with when the death happened. The reason it had been messed with went back to the whole reason why they all disappeared in the first place oh so long ago, which in itself messed with the whole cycle.

Iroh also received news that his brother and sister-in-law were having problems in creating their own family. He had become worried as he knew that perhaps a child would bring his brother back down the path he was headed, but the more he saw of his brother, the more he doubted that the man was indeed going to ever head down the path.

Ursa approached him in his study as he was looking through the maps of the entire world, trying to figure out where to go next with his plans. She walked delicately into the room and closed the door. "Ozai wished to know how to announce the news he has to the Fire Lord and asked me to ask you…"

"What news?" Iroh muttered, not looking up from his papers.

"That Lu Ten is to have a cousin… hopefully…" this statement from Ursa caused Iroh to glance up at the young woman. Her eyes were down cast and her belly swollen a little bit.

"What do you mean by hopefully…," Iroh raised an eyebrow.

"We… had problems…" Ursa still wouldn't look at him.

"From the time you tried to conceive on Ember Island, as I recall," Iroh muttered, and then raised his eyebrows. Ursa didn't seem to be only just starting to have a baby. "You and Ozai were on the island when the Fire Avatar was killed, were you not?"

"When… the Fire Avatar is dead? I thought no one was able to find the Avatar," Ursa said, turning pale.

"_The_ Avatar… but not the other three… and because the cycle has been set out of whack, they say that the secondary Avatar state will be passed on to yet another Fire Nation child," the man watched as her face turned pale. "You and Ozai had no problems then, did you?"

"I can not answer that…" the woman muttered.

"Because your husband told you not to… but he actually fears that the child is going to be the new second Avatar… and that he will end up going and killing it perhaps,"

"No… he wouldn't … he isn't that far gone!" Ursa wept.

"_If_ he killed the Avatar, then he might be… but if he is afraid of what will happen to his child when it is born if it is found out to actually be the Fire Avatar… well… there would have needed to be no worry… so, it has to be the first…" the man muttered.

"Prince Iroh… how can it only be the first!" the woman cried.

"Because… believe it or not… if the Fire Avatar were to be born _into _the royal family, Azulon would be greatly proud… even make it so that the child would be bent to his will… unfortunately."

"You speak against him?"

"Even I can see the pain that my father causes… I've seen too much of the world. Which is why I wait patiently for him to die so I can end up on the thrown, for if he dies peacefully then perhaps the war can end peacefully… but for some reason I think Ozai will end up being the next Fire Lord… he'll find a way… you be sure of it," the man commented.

"But… why against his own brother!"

"He has never cared about kith or kin… I may love him, but I know that he lost the heart to love a long time ago and he is getting much worse… I pity having forced you into this,"

"But I've loved him since we were children…"

"And he might not just love you back… he is that power hungry…" Iroh frowned. "I can not guarantee that I will be around in six months… but… my son will be. He is without a mother, so I can ask that you give him some attention. I will see to it that he is to stay by your side and explain partially the situation to him, but not fully."

"Thank you…"

"I shall now go and announce the good news to the Fire Lord… though it isn't the one he would wish for."

**Six months later…**

Lu Ten was quite happy to stay by his Aunt's side. He was a very bright twelve years old and while he was constantly being tutored Azulon had agreed, the boy needed some motherly care that he had lost when his mother had passed away during child birth. That and it was obvious to even the old Fire Lord that his second son was neglecting the care of his wife, much to his disappointment.

Thus Lu Ten had been with her when his Aunt Ursa had gone into labor. His mind at first went into panic when he remembered what his father had told him. Ozai was likely to kill the child because it was born weak. He didn't realize that his father had only told him half the truth of the whole matter and had gone and with held something more important.

The boy thus called for the midwives and shocked them by telling them not to call his uncle Ozai. To explain this, he just had to mention the council meeting that was indeed being held, one that would send Iroh off to war, to Lu Ten's bitterness. He hated that his father had to leave so, but was glad that his father had been there for a whole nine months.

Thus it was Lu Ten that had been called in when Ursa called for someone. In her arms was a beautiful baby boy. She glanced up at Lu Ten, with tears in her eyes. "I don't know if I should name him… I don't want him to die on me and have a name to attach to…"

"May I hold him Aunt Ursa?" the boy asked, to which she handed the baby to him and a nurse helped him position him in his arms. "I always wanted a baby brother…"

"Well… you might have one… if he lives. What do you think would be a good name for the child?"

"Zuko… it seems appropriate I think…" the boy muttered, looking at the new born infant.

"Zuko it is then…" Ursa muttered. It was then that Ozai came hurrying into the room, with Iroh closely following on his heels.

"Why is it I was not told _until _I had left the council that my child had been born… and early non the less… a weak, pathetic…"

"I think the babe will live…" Iroh took the infant into his arms. "Are you going to tell father?"

"And then tell him the child has died!" Ozai lied.

"I see… then I will leave to tell him… or would you like to ask for an audience with the Fire Lord to tell him Lu Ten?"

"Grandfather is scary," the boy muttered.

"We must call him Fire Lord," Iroh commented.

"I wish for once he was just a normal grandfather… no, I do not wish to tell him,"

"Then I shall go and present the child to him…" Iroh commented. "What a fine child… I bet I know of a good milk and tea that will strengthen you right up. I'll teach it to Lu Ten and he can take care of you so that Ursa can get better. We need both of you to get better, don't we?"

The only one who caught the wink at he gave her was Ursa herself.

… **Throne Room …**

Iroh stepped into the thrown room and bowed slightly. "I apologize for not bowing so low, but I have a precious bundle that I brought for the Fire Lord to see and bless."

"Please tell me that the child was not born early," the Fire Lord muttered.

"That depends on the truth of the matter… is it really only six months, or has it been nine…" Iroh sighed. "I do not wish to accuse my brother, but perhaps the child is older then he looks… I mean, he is bigger then Prince Lu Ten when he was born."

"The grievances against your brother are great. Do you have any proof?" the Fire Lord rumbled.

"If I had, I would have brought them forward sooner. Words I have had with Princess Ursa have led me to believe this way… she is just trying to be a wife true to her husband…" Iroh commented.

"Or it could have just been that she was worried that the child would die…"

"I ask that I be allowed to teach Lu Ten the things that one needs to be able to take care of the child so that Ursa can get better… and hope that what I believe isn't true. Still… I think that Ozai doesn't want the child…"

"Which explains why he hasn't come and you have,"

"The new prince is named Zuko… Lu Ten named him," Iroh beamed. "He's already claiming that this is his chance to have a little brother."

"And what happened between you and your brother… as I recall, he turned out not to be the sibling that you wanted," Azulon stated.

"Well… give Lu Ten the chance…"

"So be it… both Ursa and the child will be in his care… that is until he is the age to go off to war… I can't spare my own kin just because they are needed. Ozai is not to go near Ursa for a year to make sure she makes a full recovery… understood?"

"Thank you Fire Lord Azulon. Thank you father," Iroh commented, bowing again and leaving. He then waved one of the newborn's hands. "And thank you grandfather!"

Azulon could only shake his head at his first born, knowing that the words, unlike when spoken from Ozai, were not meant to disrespect, but were added to add more respect to the man behind the throne.

_

* * *

_

Author's Note - Questions

_**Are Zuko, Katara and Aang going to be Avatars? **__– Actually, only Zuko and Aang are. I could have made Katara into one two, but for the plot purposes, that would mean having to kill of another character, and I've already killed a canon character to fulfill the plot line. Or have I? Plus… I need Lyto up north for certain reasons.  
__**What are the Pairings? **__– Well, I will either pair Aang up with Toph, which won't happen for awhile, or Meng… I am not sure. I am also likely to end up pairing Zuko with Katara as I do have a bias towards that pairing myself… _


	4. Growing

**FOUR AVATARS: Banishment  
~Growing~**

**Two Year Later…**

Lu Ten enjoyed playing with his little cousin, who tended to be very sweet. The boy had a glow about him that his Uncle didn't have, so Lu Ten had constantly wondered how Ozai and Zuko could be related. On the other hand… speaking with Aunt Ursa, it was not so much a surprise as the toddler took after his mother.

Lu Ten was not however happy about the factors behind the whole situation that was going on right now. Ursa was having her second child and while Ozai had been completely distant during the pregnancy of the first child, he seemed to be putting all measure into this one.

He held the tolders hands as he helped him walk across the grounds. If Ozai had something to say, he would say that the first born of his was being coddled. "Ozai… he cares nothing about Zuko… but cares everything about this babe he shall name after grandfather… even if it is a girl… this makes no sence."

"A lot of things make no sense Prince Lu Ten," came a voice. Lu Ten glanced over his shoulder and paled. He bowed and forced Zuko into a bow, only to have the child giggle.

"Appogies Fire Lord Azulon… I did not see you… I also did not mean to call the other royalties without their titles…"

"Lu Ten…" the man said, startling the boy. "There are times for titles and there are times there are not. Tell me… what do you think of the way that Ozai treats Zuko?"

"Zuko is a very strong child. I don't understand how after he has proven that he will live that he can be shoved aside. Father didn't do this to me…"

"Your father also had only one child… he was lucky…" the man commented.

"But… no… I've never…"

"Speak your mind Lu Ten. I promise that I will not punish,"

"Can I call you grandfather then when I feel I need to speak something that is more… how to put it…"

"More of a curiosity then a challenge… it may actually make it sound less like a challenge so I allow it,"

"I've never seen you care about anyone… do you care about anyone… like father cares about me?" the boy asked.

"Yes… I just can't show it as I am Fire Lord… do you think it is the same for your Uncle… his rank gets in the way of what he shows?"

"No… it doesn't…" the boy commented. "Something is off… something Uncle did not tell me when…"

"What did your father tell you," the man commented.

"To stay by Aunt's side when she was going to have Zuko… that Uncle Ozai was upset that the baby might be born weak… but Zuko is strong now… why can't he… why is it that …"

"If what your father said was true that he still acts the way he does?" the old man smiled. "The answer is your father loves his brother and did not wish to falsely accuse him, but felt he had reason to be worried. Do you think that Zuko will be able to Firebend? The tutors say no as he is a weak child still… or is that Ozai convincing them not to push the child?"

"Well…" Lu Ten suddenly smiled. "Can I show you Zuko's new trick… if I can get him to do it?"

"What exactly is this trick?" his grandfather asked.

"Uncle says it didn't happen, but," Lu Ten went and found a ticklish length of plant and began to tickle his cousin's nose. Suddenly he let out a sneeze and also let out small jets of steam as he did so. "But see… it happened again… he wouldn't be able to do that if he wasn't a Firebender…"

"Should we take it slow though with him?" His grandfather asked. "Most children… show their ability differently…"

"I guess…" the boy muttered. "But why…"

"So that Zuko doesn't worry your Uncle… perhaps he thinks that Zuko is still weak… but I will see that he begins breathing lessons… as much as a two year old can…"

**Three years later…**

Zuko was not happy with the fact that Azula was getting further lessons then he was. He knew he was struggling, but it wasn't fare that his sister was more advance then him. She had made her first fire ball at the age of a year old. Thus she had begun her lessons pretty much along side of him and was now beyond him.

He was struggling so much that he was having problems sleeping. Of course, Azula… who could also talk very well for a three year old had a way of scaring him when he tried to sleep. Thus he hadn't stayied up to play with Lu Ten, who had come back from is training for the war… the older boy was going to be sent away into the war soon. Which was the other thing… Zuko didn't want his cousin to have left a year ago and he felt he had been abandoned.

Lu Ten thus decided to check in on the younger prince as he felt it was his duty. He hadn't gotten to the younger boys room when he saw the boy walking down the hall way to the gardens. "Zuko…"

When there was no response, Lu Ten rolled his eyes. "I see you're sleep walking."

He went after the boy walking softly as he did so. The garden was lit with the glow of lanturns, as Aunt Ursa like it to be kept. He watched as the boy stopped and work at manipulating the fire in his sleep, though it only fluttered slightly. He saw the frustration on the boys face.

It was then that Zuko changed the way he was moving, unexpectedly. Lu Ten let out a chuckle. "That's a Water Bender stance silly!"

But then Lu Ten found his jaw dropping. The fire was moving exactly like water. And it wasn't that, but the water was rising out of the fountain behind the boy. "No… it can't… Zuko!"

Zuko's eyes began to lose their glaze and the water began to come crashing down. Lu Ten quickly moved and knocked the boy into the fountain. He heard the boy splutter. "Zuko… you were sleep walking!"

Zuko looked at the boy for a few seconds. "My name isn't Zuko… it's Kuzon… Kuzon!"

"No… its…" Lu Ten blinked a couple of times. The name of the dead Fire Avatar had been Kuzon. "Kuzon… as in the second Avatar."

Zuko blinked a couple of times. "I am not the Fire Avatar… I am horrible at Firebending… and… my name is Zuko."

"Then why did you…" Lu Ten said… realizing that Zuko's mind was half awake. "What exactly were you doing?"

"I was looking for Aang… I don't know who Aang is… who's Aang?" the boy pouted.

"I don't know… let's get you out of these wet clothes and into some dry ones.

… **Iroh's Office…**

Iroh was home for a couple of weeks to gather some information when Lu Ten came in and closed the door. "There was something that you aren't telling me about Zuko and his birth… isn't there."

"Nothing you need to worry about," Iroh said.

"Not unless I found out somehow what the secret is…" the boy muttered. "Did you know that he's bending fire as if it was water… and he's bending water at the same time."

"You must have been seeing things,"

"As he was sleep walking he called himself Kuzon… when he half woke up… and said he was looking for his friend Aang… I'm not daft… you've known since Zuko was born… before… haven't you."

Iroh turned his sad eyes onto his son. "I also think that your Uncle is the one that killed the Fire Avatar… thus when it ended up messed up like it was… he was reborn as Zuko… and it seems that unlike the other Avatar cycle states… that Zuko and Kuzon are exactly the same person…"

"I don't… Uncle… how can he be reborn into this cycle… shouldn't he be reborn as an Airbender?"

"Your uncle messed with something that he wasn't supposed to have… obviously Kuzon was not in either the Avatar state, but he wasn't in a non-Avatar state… as if there was something more…"

"Does Grandfather know?"

"Yes and no… he's choosing to ignore what I told him when Zuko was born… hopefully this can be kept secret for awhile longer…"

"I promise without even being asked," Lu Ten bowed to his father. "I am now heading to bed."

"Good night my son…"

_

* * *

_

Author's note – All right… since one reviewer insists… Aang is going to be paired with Toph… though it will be awhile…


	5. Hurt

**FOUR AVATARS: Banishment  
~Hurt~**

**Throne Room… Before Azulon Dies…**Ursa went to Lord Azulon to beg him not to have her child killed… Zuko was her first born and she loved him with all of her heart. She had not talked to Ozai and was glad to find an audience with the Fire Lord so quickly. She bowed down and knelt in front of him, waiting for him to allow her to plead her case.

"What is it that you bring me?" the man muttered.

"Is it true that for his insolence that you have ordered Ozai to kill Zuko?" the woman asked.

"Where have you heard this? This was a private conversation?" the Fire Lord narrowed his eyes.

"I have heard it from the grandchild named after the Fire Lord, my Lord. She happened to have been hiding and listening in… or so she says…" Ursa could not find herself able to look him in the eyes.

"What is it that should let me spare the boys life?" the man scoffed. "It seems an apt punishment.

"Ozai… Ozai does not care about his first born… take my life instead," Ursa commented.

"Child… it seems that Azula would serve a better purpose… but that would not do… I ask why Zuko should be spared. Was he not born premature?"

"That is a lie that Ozai made me tell," Ursa pleaded. "A lie I did not understand the reason for."

"This tells me what I need to know. However… the only thing that can spare the child's life is my death…"

"And if Zuko dies, Iroh will be even more devastated! He's already lost Lu Ten! Had you thought of that when you sentenced Zuko to death…?" Ursa suddenly stopped.

"Your words are treasonous!" the Fire Lord snapped as the flames sprung to life. They then faded. "It is true though I am not long for this world. Sozin's comet will not be something I will see… a new Fire Lord will need to take my place. I would have preferred it to be Iroh… and this was a test for Ozai that he has failed!"

"I am sorry my Lord," Ursa didn't raise her head from the ground.

"But now I am positive that the Fire Avatar is indeed Zuko… to have him killed would ruin all the plans that we have put forth since a hundred years ago… but my dyeing now will place the throne in Ozai's hands simply by him being home and being able to seize power… go tell him that you have poisoned me and told me that Iroh is dead… I hope that Zuko will live. Be gone… "

"But…"

"It was a test Ursa… would Ozai kill me to protect his first born, or go ahead and kill him. I had hoped that he wouldn't. You will now serve both our purposes!"

**After Ursa's Banishment…**

Zuko frowned as he sat by the duck pond. His mind was following not the path that he wanted it too and he was not happy with the sudden change in his life. Things were beginning to become more and more rapidly problematic. He had yet again failed at his lessons that were set forward for him and he found himself quite displeased with himself in the fact that Azula had succeeded far from where he had.

He was sitting there when he overheard Azula speaking with her friends behind where he was sitting. "I overheard father say that Zuko will not be sent to the Fire Academy like us… that there is no point to it when Zuko's bending skills are an embarrassment for us to have to deal with not having been found out."

"I would have thought that your brother would have figured things out by now," Tai Li bubbled out. "I mean… he is supposed to be of the same blood line."

"Father says that the circumstances of his birth mean that he's ended up slighted," Mai commented. "And I heard that he was born early…"

"And literally what one would call the runt," Azula laughed the way that she always did. "That explains a lot… if he were to die also… no one would really notice that he was gone."

"But is that why…" Tai Li muttered. "His aura says that he should be a great bender… like my aura says I am always cheerful and Mai's is always un-cheerful… a lack of bluster… fluster…"

"Luster…" Mai sighed.

"Aura has nothing to do with bending," Azula rolled her eyes… or from the tone, Zuko imagined it to be so.

"But his Aura is weird…" Tai Li muttered.

"Because he's dumb… that's why," Azula then peeked around the tree. "Aren't you brother?"

Zuko jumped and scuttled away from his younger sister. "Azula!"

"Poor Zuzu!' Azula scoffed.

"Princess Azula… treat your brother with respect," Iroh sighed.

"Uncle!" Zuko hurried forward and hugged the robes tightly. "They said you were dead and that is why father… why there is now Fire Lord Ozai!"

"Zuko…" the man muttered, rubbing the boys back.

"Father is going to kill you…" Azula muttered. "Your worthless now."

"Azula… worth is no measured by standing… I have no desire to take the throne… and there is the fact that my knowledge is a good thing for the war at hand… and do not joke such in front of your brother."

"Azula always lies," Zuko muttered, leaning into the man's side.

_

* * *

_

Author's note – I found Ozai's story not to be fully clear. I wondered if Azulon truly cared about Iroh, why he would have had someone else that Iroh cared about killed. Which made me always think there was more to it… like it was a test for Ozai… to see if he really did care about his first born or not. At least that is how it worked in this AU…


	6. Dream State

**FOUR AVATARS: Banishment  
~Dream State~**

**A Few Days Before the Agni Kai…**Zuko sat in the room of the royal tutors pouring over his lessons constantly. The consistency of the lessons was to the point of frustration. He felt like he had no freedom and that his father was purposefully trying to make his life hard. Soon after he had become Fire Lord, Ozai had ordered gave the tutors the strict instructions not to let Zuko out of his lessons unless he got all of the right awnsers or the sun had gone down.

The boy was finding that the school work he was being given was more and more of a struggle too. He had never had a problem with history before, that is the history from over two hundred years ago, but he never had been able to get the modern era history like Azula so easily did. Being behind his younger sister was frustrating and the lessons seemed more focused on the modern era, which made it hard for him to have his Firebending lessons.

What was also frustrating was the fact that Azula was also gettind farther and farther ahead of him in her Firebending. He was barely managing the basics, yet Azula had been bragging for days about how she could produce a blue flame, a very high level of achievement. Ozai had even taken the time to show her off in front of a huge group of people.

His father never had bragged upon Zuko and the boy felt that it was because he was way to far behind his father's expectations for himself. He felt like he would also not ever catch up to where he needed to be. However, he was determined not to give up and was going to make his father able to be proud of him, though Zuko didn't realize it was more of a want to then being able to.

Laughter came from below the window and Zuko hurried to the window. The tutor narrowed his eyes at the boy. "Prince Zuko… you're supposed to be at lessons, not gaggling out the window."

Zuko pushed his lips together in agitation as he saw his sister around and about with her friends. This meant that she had finished at the school that the three went to, something that Zuko wished he could do too, but he was stuck with the tutors because he was an embaressment, or so he figured. If they were here, that meant it was very late in the afternoon and he would yet again not succeed in finishing his lessons before sundown.

"Sit back down Prince Zuko," the tutor admonished, which caused Zuko to sigh and take his seat. "We have too much to do today for such things."

Zuko then returned to his lessons paused. "Who was Kuzon?"

"Kuzon?" the tutor stammered out all of a sudden, shock and surprise on his face. "He was the Fire Avatar, the second circle of the Avatars. He… where did you hear his name?"

Zuko blinked a couple of times, surprised that this had been asked of him, he had to think of where he had heard the name. "I guess it was on of Lu Ten's stories when I was little."

"It is not fair to place blame on the dead Prince Zuko," the tutor admonished.

This confused Zuko a bit, but he became lost in thought about his cousin. "I wasn't tryong to place any blame on him… I loved his stoires."

"I see. I am not…" the tutor stopped short as he head voices in the corrider outside.

"Iroh… is not Azula the pinicle of perfection?" came Lord Ozai's voice.

"I would have to say that she is the pinicle of your ideal of perfection," Iroh muttered in irritation.

"This is coming from the one who's ideal is that of a peace maker," Ozai snapped. "The brother I knew so long ago was different."

Before Iroh could comment, Azula's voice came forward, purring as it did so. "Hello father… may I see Zuko?" Azula suddenly purred.

"He is studing and is far behind," Iroh stated.

However, he was overruled by Ozai. "I see no problem with it… Azula has finished for the day and should be rewarded as she sees fit."

When Zuko heard this, he hurried to pull his ink pot away from the edge of the table he was working at and placed a cap on it. The tutor's maouth and eyes betrayied that he was also uncomfortable, pssobly thankful that Azula's schooling had been passed on from the tutors to those of the Fire Nation schools, but only possibly because Ozai wished to show off his daughter.

"Hello Zuzu… I see your still slow at getting your lessons done, or more of… into that dumb head of yours,"

"Shut up 'zula. You aren't funny," Zuko muttered and tried not to look her in the face.

"It's A…zu…la," his sister suddenly corrected. "Are you so dumb that you can't call me by my real name?"

"I know what your name is. I'll start using it when you use mine," Zuko snapped.

"Fine… you want to sound like a dumb dumb and a baby, fine by me," the girl suddenly spun on her heals, glee in her eyes. Zuko turned to his lesson and sighed, realizing that it would be a long time until this lesson was finished.

**Later that Night…**

_Zuko knew that he had to be dreaming as the place he saw around him was not a place he recognized. All around him were grey rocks with some sort of plant growing on them. From next to him came a voice. "So, what do you think of this place, being a fourteen year old and all?"_

_Zuko narrowed his eyes to try to grasp what he saw, but nothing seemed to catch his eye and was rather foggy. Certain spots weren't fully there. His mind suddenly came to him. "~Zuko… remember this place… I sure do… it was before the Fire Lord forbid I to come here.~"_

"_~How can I remember this place?~" Zuko found he could only mentally ask the question._

"_~Because…~" the voice in his head started._

"_Kuzon!" came the cry of a boy around ten dressed in yellow and red and that had a blue arrow on his head… an Airbender… or so Zuko presumed._

"_~Who?~" Zuko tried to say aloud, but the voice beat him to it, causing him to realize that he and the voice were the same but different tone levels. "Hello Aang."_

Zuko suddenly found himself sitting up on the bed. His body shook as the dream disturbed him such. Yet he also found the dream quickly flying from his mind. His chest had a panic in it. The feeling he felt was like the time he had been watching butterflies with his mother and Azula suddenly shot them down… there at first, then gone… and it felt like it shouldn't be.

His feet suddenly slipped from underneath the covers and he found himself hurring off to his uncle's study. As the door somewhat banged open, his uncle looked up. "Zuko? Did you have a bad dream?" What was it about?"

"I can't remember… and it wasn't a nightmare. It was more like something I was supposed to do… or more like… remember…"

"Would you like a cup of tea to help you sleep?" Iroh smiled when Zuko nodded his head.

**The Day of the Agni Kai…**

_Zuko felt like his entire mind was on fire. The left part of his face hurt, though he couldn't place why. Darkness was all around him and he felt like dying. He tried to figure out exactly what was going on but couldn't figure it out. Then he remembered._

"_I dishonored father…"_

"_How can one dishonor someone who has no honor?" the voice asked._

"_Father is Fire Lord… and my father… he has the utmost honor because of this," Zuko protested._

"_Oh… that kind of honor. I thought you were talking about the warriors honor,"_

"_Father is an honorable warrior,"_

"_Honorable warriors do not main the weak… Uncle Iroh's words, no?"_

_Zuko decided to try a different tactic with the voice. "It is dishonorable to dishonor anyone."_

"_Remember close your words for the future then. Now wake up!"_

"_I don't feel like it… the pain is unbearable…"_

"_I want to live!" the voice muttered. "I've died once already… we do not want to again?"_

"_You can not decide for me," Zuko snapped back._

"_I don't think you understand. If I decide to live, we live… or I live. We are one person after all, always have been,"_

"_We are not the same person!"_

"_Yes, we are. I am not going to argue with myself. We… I… shall live,"_

_

* * *

_

Author's note – Things are finally starting to speed up. The first story deals with Zuko's banishment. Any of you notice that if you take the 'n' away from Kuzon's name and rearrange it, you get Zuko's?


	7. Banishment

**FOUR AVATARS: Banishment  
~Banishment~**

…**Upon the Metal Ship…**

Iroh had been extremely distraught about what Ozai had done. There was defiantly no way his brother could be turned back now to the child he remembered from his younger days. At least not in a way that would matter within the timeframe that truly mattered. He also had the feeling that Fire Lord Azulon, when he had been alive, had no clue what would befall his grandson in the future.

The ship's doctor had said that the damage was minimal, which was surprising as Prince Zuko was supposed to be a horrible Fire Bender from what they had heard, yet some of the damage that should have been there was negated by his ability. This had caused Iroh to ask where the idea that Prince Zuko was a horrible Fire Bender came from.

He quickly found that word was traveling around the ship that Zuko had been maimed in a training accident caused by the young Prince himself. Iroh could only shake his head at this. "My nephew is not useless and not that horrible of a bender."

"I know that you have confidence in your nephew… perhaps more then should be, but understand where his father is coming from… he found Prince Zuko's training to be an embarrassment, while you do not wish to admit that it happened, but over time you will,"

Iroh could only shake his head at the sailor who told him this. This whole story was to cover up the fact that Ozai had personally maimed his own son. If word got out among those of the Fire Nation, an uprising would occur that would wish to Zuko… or even Iroh on the throne instead of his brother.

Iroh closed his eyes, making up his mind carefully. If Zuko awoke, he knew that the boy would remain very loyal to his father, perhaps even think he deserved the injury. Because of this, no thought of disloyalty would come to his mind… he only wished to be an eventually good Fire Lord for his nation.

Iroh was proud of this and thus would stand by his nephew's side. However, if it turned out that Zuko would die from this, Iroh would make sure that his brother would pay for his crimes, many of which perhaps should have been punished a long time ago. Iroh knew that he was probably the one biggest threat against his brother, which might explain why he sent the old man with the ship.

To search for the Avatar… a laughable mission… unless one knew the truth behind Zuko and the boy's birth. Iroh had to frown at this, as Ozai knew the truth of the matter, he had to. Which meant that Ozai thought very lowly of his son's ability to fulfill a prophesy made about himself. Iroh had his own doubts too, but about other things and for other reasons.

"General Iroh… Prince Zuko is sitting up," the ships doctor suddenly came out, his lips tight with frustration. "Would you please tell him to go lie down already? He refuses until he sees you."

Iroh nodded his head at the somewhat good news and went into the room. There on the bed with his face wrapped in cloth was his nephew. His mouth moved suddenly. "Hello Uncle Iroh."

Iroh narrowed his eyes, recognizing the voice, but noting the difference in tone from his nephew's normal tone of voice. "You aren't Zuko."

"I am Zuko," the boy commented, shrugging his shoulders as if this conversation was no big deal.

"No… you're not Zuko, Kuzon," Iroh wasn't happy with this situation.

"Unlike the previous Fire Avatar and his successor the Air Avatar Aang, who are separated completely except for that they are reincarnations, Zuko and I are the same person… for the most part. I have all of his memories… he's supposed to have all of mine by now, but he's been blocking me for some reason… perhaps because he finds them rather confusing."

"Ozai's doing too possibly. How is it that you were reborn as a Firebender and not an Airbender?"

"You are trying to hint that it has to do with the fact that the Airbenders are all dead… Aang will not like hearing that one. It was because the circle was broken while I was in Avatar state… yet it was still an in-between state… an in-between state caused by Aang I believe and something he's done,"

"What do you plan on doing,"

"Letting Zuko have control… he would freak out if he loses too much memory of his supposed waking hours. He's already freaking out that he and myself are the same person, so it might be awhile until I push the issue again with my other half… I can't force becoming a whole for once…"

Iroh shook his head and chuckled. "I wouldn't take it well if I was in his situation… I mean your situation. What should I know about you Kuzon."

"Kuzon did not have an interest in girls and still doesn't. Kuzon wanted to beat Azula up but no matter how ferocious my new blood sister is, she is still a girl and my sister… there is no honor in that. Zuko is terrified of her though, as his bending skills are still growing. I have to relearn everything… it isn't easy… and also the other elements… not nice."

"Azula is a pain," Iroh chuckled again. He opened his mouth to say something else but was interrupted by Zuko.

"Kuzon also found Mai to be quite silly and could never understand why her cheeks turned pink, but neither does Zuko. Kuzon refuses to understand Tai Li and her pink hyperness… is she Fire Nation… or Air Nation that has escaped into the Fire Nation and has turned pink the stigmata of the culture,"

"That is an odd way of explaining Tai Li, but it fits…" Iroh was trying not to laugh uncontrollably. "Kuzon… were you not sixteen? Most boys have an interest in girls by then…"

Kuzon looked up in surprise. "There is no such thing as a sensible girl… except Bumi's sister… and she's two years older. But who can blame her for being such with Bumi the crazy as a brother."

"Ahh… Bumi, the Earth king,"

"I forgot… he did become king," Kuzon snorted, then winced in pain.

"Haven't you been playing attention in class?" Iroh asked.

"I find the modern era confusing as it was supposed to be my future… that may be why Zuko is struggling. The few memories he pulls are my memories of what… my history lessons!"

"Quite possibly…" Iroh shook his head. "How about your dislikes and likes?"

"I love fire flakes…" the boy began listing off foods, animals and other things that he liked or disliked.

Iroh shook his head in amusement. "Kuzon… those are the exact likes and dislikes of Zuko's."

"I guess they are and I hadn't thought of it," the boy suddenly narrowed his eyes, smiling as he did so, though it was painful. "I'll tell you something that I like that Zuko doesn't… but will if I have my way… tea."

"Now you're just humoring me," Iroh shook his head. "What about your Firebending. Lu Ten told me it's like Waterbending."

"I saw Avatar Ruko doing it that way and liked it and preferred it… he wasn't exactly please with that though… and now I have to relearn, but it is not the same… it's a new body after all… though I think I should have more control then Zuko over it… and if we become one like we should be… we'll be fine… but I am not completely sure about this… this has never happened before to any of the Avatar cycles."

"I see. I happen to have studied Waterbending… so I know the solution for that little problem… though Zuko may not like it…"

"No… he wont… why did father do that? Why am I even calling him father? He killed me then maimed me… when it should be the other way around… and if Avatar Ruko and Aang are the same person…" Kuzon suddenly turned pale. He restrained himself from slapping himself. "My best friend is my great grandfather! I am _so _glad Zuko does not know this yet. He slept walked one time and I overheard momma say that he was her grandfather…"

Iroh couldn't help laughing at this. "Isn't King Bumi one of your best friends?"

"Bumi… Bumi was the most annoying, most trouble making friend ever! It's bad enough that I will possibly have to learn Earth Bending from him!" Kuzon didn't seem pleased. "Oh… and he will try to play matchmaker between me and his sister… _again_! I _hope _I find Aang within the next two to three years… before I get close to or older then Fumi… because it will only be worse then!"

"Where do your loyalties lie?" Iroh asked suddenly.

"Mine do not lie with Ozai, though Zuko's do still lie with father. He does not see the truth and that is aggravating that one part of you can't see it… but then… I am not fully understanding my own feelings towards him… I choose now not to call him father… he may be blood, but… he needs to earn the title… Zuko can call him what he wants…"

"What about calling me Uncle?"

"Those not your blood kin, once they got to know you would wish to call you Uncle. I am lucky to be able to call you my blood uncle. So if you do not mind, I will continue to call you Uncle Iroh. I wish Lu Ten was still around… and momma… and I know that Zuko calls her mom and mother… when I wake up, don't expect Kuzon… expect Zuko."

_

* * *

_

Author's note – Well… I don't actually know what to say, but I had something to say. Oh, yeah… it is starting to pick up… possibly said that last chapter… anyways… hope you enjoy… it is probably starting to look really weird to people though…


	8. The Earth Temple

**FOUR AVATARS: Banishment  
~Earth Temple~**

**A Few Days Later…**

Zuko finally awoke from the deep darkness that had been consuming him and blinked a couple of times. His eyes quickly adjusted to the dim lighting and he looked around the area around him and took in his surroundings. He winced as the pain from the left side of his face intensified for a few seconds and his head felt dizzy.

He quickly came to some startling conclusions. The first was that he couldn't see out of his left eye. This was at this point due to the fact that his eye was covered with bandages. The second conclusion was that he was on some sort of metal ship.

He pushed the covers off his body and got out of the medical bed, even though his head swam. He was in his underclothes and chills through his head swam. He was in his underclothes and chills went up his spine as soon as his feet fit hit the metal floor. He shivered as his body was still recuperating from his injuries.

He grabbed one of the medical bay dressing robes and wrapped it around his body. He then barged past the ship's doctor to go and find someone he knew. However, the doctor grabbed his shoulder. "Prince Zuko, I told you it is best to remain in bed."

Zuko blinked a couple of times at the man. "I don't recall being told this."

"Possibly due to that injury you sustained during the training accident," the man sighed.

"What training accident?" Zuko's one eye held complete confusion.

The man sighed again. "That is yet another thing you've forgotten because of it. Do I need to go get your uncle Prince Zuko?"

"Uncle's here?" Zuko's face suddenly brightened up.

"Yes… should I go find him?"

"No… I'll go find him," the boy had determination in his voice and took off.

"Prince Zuko!" the doctor called after him, but the boy quickly disappeared on him.

…**The Ship's Bridge…**

The ships captain was speaking to Iroh about where they would first be heading on this trip of theirs. Iroh pointed to a temple that was within the domain of the Fire Nation colonies. The captain blinked a couple of times. "You wish to go to an Earth Temple?"

"There is a huge cache of weapons there I wish to show my nephew… it might cheer his mood up," the man smiled.

"Or more of yourself General Iroh," the man sighed.

"Just Iroh now thank you," he smiled at the map. "We've been taking some of our men here to teach them about different weapons, the collection is that vast."

"I am quite surprised that the Fire Nation Lord hasn't seized it for use in the Fire Academy for soldiers," the other man muttered.

"Why, when it is easier to turn the Earth Temple into a place to school the soldiers?" Iroh laughed. "That is what was done by one of the former Fire Lords. Not to mention there is a superstation about removing the weapons from the Earth kingdom temple. Originally, they were being stored at a Fire Temple, but were moved by the monks seventy to a hundred years ago after the Fire Temple went to misuse; they were moved to this one. That… and there is the risk of losing them during transportation."

"You mean there are more Fire Sages?" the man asked.

"No… the sages remain at the Fire Temple for the first cycle of Avatar," Iroh sighed. "The rest are more minor in ability and lore among our nation."

They were suddenly interrupted by a solider opening the door. "Iroh… sir… we found Prince Zuko wandering around in the hall ways. Should we take him back to the medical bay?"

"No… I will see to the boy," Iroh walked out into the corridor and smiled at his nephew. "I don't believe that you are well enough to be out and about as of ye."

"Uncle… was it a training accident? Or the Agni Kai like I remember?"

"An Agni Kai… though your father has told it was a training accident."

"I am not surprised…" Zuko frowned deeply.

"Look… if you rest nicely… I'll promise you a nice surprise,"

"Promise?"

"I promise," Iroh smiled.

…**Earth Temple…**

Zuko first didn't understand why his Uncle had brought him to the Earth Temple. He also wondered why there were Fire Nation soldiers practicing in the court yard. Iroh went up and spoke to one of the Earth Kingdom Monks and that man led them into a chamber.

There a woman in Fire Nation garb who was teaching some soldiers about certain weapon. The monk walked up to her. "You'll have to hold off until later."

"What right have you to order me about?" the woman suddenly snapped. "This temple and all its contents are under Fire Nation control. Just because I am a woman… and a young person at that… doesn't mean I should be taken lightly."

"Apologies teacher… I do have a great deal of respect for you and your knowledge, believe it or not… however," the Earth monk nodded at Zuko and Iroh. "We have guests… I think the Fire Lord's brother having requested to show his nephew our collection should be considered something that can interrupt anyone's lessons?"

At first, the woman narrowed her eyes at the two nobles then gave them a quick smile. "Ahh… General Iroh and the young Prince Zuko… Soldier's salute our honored guests then you are dismissed."

The soldiers saluted them quickly then disappeared from the room. Iroh bowed to her. "Thank you for having us."

"I don't appreciate my work being interrupted for anything. I should be out there, not here…"

"Have you any sense of proprietary?" Iroh suddenly asked.

"What exactly are you saying? That women can't be a solider?" she snapped.

"No… I was more of wondering where one's sense of honor has gone… and not honor as in whether one is male or female should be doing certain jobs," the response that he received was a curt bow and her abrupt leaving.

"Ahh… now… Prince Zuko… what do you think of our vast collection?"

"It's huge…" was Zuko's words. His eyes though said he had no interest in most of it. He traveled in and out looking at each weapon carefully. He then came upon two swords… Duo swords. He reached out and hesitantly touched them.

"Ahh... the Duo Swords. They are built light weight and durable. They are liked their very fluid movements,"

Zuko quickly removed his hand as if he had been shocked. He continued to look around and came to a group of sticks. He fingered through them and then pulled one out. "Something's off about…"

He suddenly jumped as what appeared to be fans came out of it. He meekly handed it to the monk. "I seriously didn't mean to break it… I promise… no more touching…"

"You didn't break it…" the monk laughed and put it back. Zuko sighed and went to touch an odd shaped weapon. He pulled back but then finally picked it up.

"What exactly is this thing?"

"It is a boomerang," the man smiled. "A weapon that can actually come flying back and hit twice… so they say, if one knows how to use it right."

Zuko then moved to another area with a wall of fans. He reached out and touched one. "Azula always said fans were girl's weapons… that… and chopsticks."

"What an odd comment… but she is relatively right… on a female they wouldn't be noticed," the monk laughed.

"I wish to go back to the ship now uncle," Zuko commented, feeling emotionally drained.

"Start back and I'll catch up… I am after all, an old man," Iroh smiled at his nephew.

"If you hadn't come to me and said what we saw here is not to leave the room, I might have thought you were another one trying to trick us that he or she is the next Fire Avatar in the second cycle." The monk sighed.

"So?"

"Other then the boomerang, there are like weapons with minor differences… this is where all others have failed to trick us… however, he picked the right ones…"

"From what I've heard, the second Avatar is more open to impostory…"

"And why shouldn't it be… it is the only one that requires the child to be older when picking out the objects being weapons. Even now… I can not be sure… which is the reason I am not handing them over… that and that woman has every weapon in here inventoried and would know if any of them disappeared,"

"Thank you anyways," Iroh bowed to the man.


	9. Decision

**FOUR AVATARS: Banishment  
~Decision~**

Iroh finally came to tell Zuko about what Ozai had stated could redeem himself for the fault that Zuko had supposedly commented. The boy was to find and capture the Avatar. Obviously Ozai felt that this task was one that his son would never achieve; even with the prophesy, stating that he would, being in place. This meant that there was little hope of the boy ever returning to his nation.

The boy's first course of action and decision was to set a course for the Southern Air Temple. There they saw a massive fortress that at first glance looked impenetrable. But with Iroh showing them, they quickly found out how the Fire Nation had taken the temple nearly a hundred years ago.

Snow crunched under Zuko's feet with the feeling that this place was somehow familiar; it was a few minutes before his problems started. "_I don't like this place._" Zuko thought this was pretty much, his own self talking, until the second thought came. "_Kuzon thinks we should leave._"

"What, is Kuzon now my spirit guide," Zuko snapped, thankfully loud enough so that only his uncle heard him, to which Iroh rose his eyebrows at the boy. "I care not what you think of this place."

"_There are bones of children right in front of our eyes. Can you not see them!_" Zuko opened his mouth to reply, then walked over to his uncle. He pointed to the pile of rags and bones.

"Are those children?"

"I can not… possibly," Iroh commented then sighed. "Yes."

"Why didn't the Fire Nation bury them well enough so carrion could not get to them… were they in a hurry?" Zuko didn't want an answer to his question, nor did his uncle wish to answer hi.

It was also then that Iroh made a decision. He would let Kuzon play out for awhile and not tell Zuko the truth from the looks of it, his nephew was already polarized on the edge of a knife as it was, there was no need to push him.

_

* * *

_

Author's note – Here is the end to the first of the series. The first chapter of the second, Four Avatars II: Awakening, is already written up in my notebook… I only need to type it up and post it.


End file.
